| dc.description.abstract |
AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF NATURAL DEATHS IN LIMPOPO
AIM: To establish the epidemiological and demographic profiles of natural deaths
in Limpopo province.
SETTING: Limpopo province
METHOD: Data was captured from records of deaths kept by the Statistics South
Africa from the 1st of January 2000 to the 31st of December 2005 excluding
unnatural deaths.
FINDINGS: There were 228 626 natural deaths during the study period. The
gender distribution was 48% males and 52% females. The mean age of death for
the population has decreased from 50.11(95%CI: 49.82 50.41) in 2000 to 45.10
(95%CI: 44.88 45.33) in 2005. The crude mortality rate has increased from 7, 2
per 1000 in 2001 to 9, 5 per 1000 in 2005. The highest numbers of deaths are at
the age group 30-44 years which contributed to 23% of all deaths. Infectious and
parasitic diseases, respiratory tuberculosis as well as diarrhoea and
gastroenteritis presumed infectious in origin are the major causes of death for
males and females. Amongst the top 10 causes of death are combinations of
infectious and parasitic, non-communicable diseases and ill defined causes. This
finding suggests a double burden of disease.
CONCLUSION: Deaths are on the increase and claims the lives of the young
persons in the population. The age of death is on the decline, caused by mainly
ill-defined causes, parasitic and infectious diseases as well as noncommunicable
and perinatal conditions. This trend mirrors the HIV epidemic,
and calls for further intensification of preventive, promotive and treatment
programmes. |
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